1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to holding and positioning apparatus for cabinets and construction panels. More particularly, the invention relates to holding devices by which cabinets, sheet rock or other similar panel type materials used in the building industry may be easily held, placed and retained temporarily in position for subsequent permanent installation.
2. Prior Art
In the construction industry, both walls and ceilings are covered with flat, broad coverings having a smooth exposed surface. A prime example of this is sheet rock. In the past, sheet rock has been attached to the ceiling joist using a crew of workers who would manually lift the sheet rock into an overhead position and hold it in place while it is nailed or otherwise secured to the ceiling. Sheet rock and other forms of interior surface finishing panels traditionally used in the building industry are applied to the ceiling or wall frames as the case may be by placing sheets in the order of four foot by eight foot (4'.times.8'), four foot by twelve foot (4'.times.12') or larger, against the framing and securing each sheet in place by nailing, screwing, adhesive bonding or by a combination of fastening techniques to achieve permanent installation of the adjacent panels or sheets. Because of the size and weight of the sheet or panel, the installation procedure oftentimes requires at least three people, particularly where each sheet must be retained in an elevated position by two people while nails or screws are inserted by the third person. The installation is complicated further by the requirement in many cases that the installers use step ladders, scaffolding or other forms of movable platforms in order to place the sheet in its ultimate position. In other cases, two people are required, one to hold the workpiece in place, the other to do the affixing. Mounting the sheet rock by this method is difficult, very strenuous and not a particularly efficient procedure.
The problem of properly installing panel materials has been recognized in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 1,725,329 issued to A. S. Blandford on Aug. 29, 1929 describes a wall board handling device with a wheeled base, extensible support column and a platform to support the wall board thereon. L. M. White in U.S. Pat. No. 2,242,380 issued on May 20, 1941, describes a wall board tool comprising a lower prop having a rubber floor tip, a supporting fork slidably mounted on the prop, a ceiling board medially and pivotally mounted on the supporting fork and means for releasably locking the fork in any adjusted position on the prop. A ceiling board prop utilizing pivoting arms is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,379,984 issued to R. Couture on June 26, 1945. In this device, swinging arms which move outwardly provide a support surface for the ceiling board. J. Cooper utilizes a support surface which is moved vertically into position by means of a portable lifting apparatus which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,993 issued on Jan. 3, 1961. Cooper utilizes a longitudinally extensible tooth jack and a pair of hollow tubes. The device also has a radially extensible arm to support the workpieces thereon. The jack is mounted on casters for free movement on the longitudinal axis of the legs. Leslie G. Love in U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,038 issued on Apr. 13, 1965 discloses a dolly base with casters. Upon the dolly base is placed an extensible column which is provided with a winch means to raise or lower the telescoping extensible extension. Rail members are pivotally mounted to the top of the extensible column to hold the workpieces thereon. A lifting and positioning apparatus for construction panels such as sheet rock is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,934 issued Mar. 8, 1983 to Lewis T. Elliott. The apparatus includes at least one lifting standard having a base, a thick strut supported vertically from the base, a movable strut arrangement supported from the thick strut, a guide and latch arrangement for retaining the struts in generally parallel relationship, a handle on the movable strut for elevating the same in relation to the thick strut and the base, and a panel engaging rail supported on the movable strut. The panel engaging rail is supported at the top of the movable strut, in which case, two of the standard are used to elevate and position a panel against the underside of the ceiling framework. In an alternative embodiment, only one standard is used and includes a cleat-like rail at the bottom of the movable strut to engage the lower edge of the panel to be elevated along the vertical wall framework. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,354 issued to William Blessing on Mar. 18, 1986, a panel support column for supporting sheet rock panels in an overhead position during the fixed mounting of the sheet rock panels to a ceiling is disclosed. The panel support column comprises a broad flat bearing plate, rotatably attached to a circular cross-section support rod, a support barrel having a cavity which closely accepts the support rod for reciprocative movement, an upper and lower retaining clamp, a compression spring mounted around the juncture of the support rod and support barrel, and non-slip end cup on the lower end of the support barrel. The support rod has a plurality of height adjusting holes to which the upper clamp can be attached so as to allow adjustment of the height of the panel support column to accommodate ceilings of different heights.
Earl O. Pettit, in U.S. Pat. 4,600,348 issued July 15, 1986, describes a panel hoist including a telescopic mast assembly. A collapsible base framework is provided with casters so that the panel hoist can be rolled into position. The collapsible base framework is specially constructed so as to minimize the size of the unit in the collapsed state. Two different head assemblies are provided, depending upon whether the panels are being installed horizontally or upright. The head assemblies are also collapsible.
Finally, F. J. Miller in Canadian Patent No. 1,024,926 is directed to a panel handling tool having a single support assembly comprising a telescopic, locable tubular section and a platform to support panels or sheet rock thereon.
Equally difficult to install are kitchen cabinets or the like. Similar problems are encountered with the manual lift and support procedure, in that the precise placement of the cabinet in a level position is most difficult. This is so because it is difficult to manually hold the cabinet against the wall while an attempt is made to move the cabinet precisely into place which is necessary for the cabinet to function properly and for a professional looking finished product. Despite the problems associated with mounting cabinets, the prior art has not specifically developed mechanical aides which can assist in holding the cabinet in place against the wall and in a level position during the fastening in place process.
None of the known prior art devices show a panel hoist that is multi-purpose; that is, it can be used for both panels or cabinets. In addition, none of the above devices assist in leveling, is lightweight, compact, inexpensive and easily disassembled.